Massachusetts Dentist Charged with Tax Evasion

A federal grand jury in Boston has indicted George Fenzell for tax evasion and corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Justice Department and the IRS announced today following the unsealing of the indictment. Fenzell, of Douglas, Mass., is a practicing dentist with offices in Shrewsbury, Mass., and Brookline, N.H.

According to the indictment, from 1999 through 2012, Fenzell engaged in conduct intended to obstruct the IRS from computing, assessing and collecting his income taxes. He stopped filing timely tax returns and allegedly tried to conceal his dental practice income in a variety of ways. The indictment alleges that Fenzell used nominee entities, including River Valley Dental and Brookline Dental Associates Trust, to conceal his dental practice receipts. The indictment also alleges that he used multiple bank accounts in three separate states, including commingled accounts maintained by third parties, to conceal his ownership of funds. According to the indictment, Fenzell used nominees as trustees to make it appear as though other individuals owned and controlled his assets and income. Finally, Fenzell allegedly falsified his delinquent 2006 and 2007 tax returns and made extensive use of cash in order to conceal his fraud.

The indictment further alleges that in 2007, Fenzell, prompted in part by a Massachusetts Department of Revenue investigation, filed delinquent federal tax returns for tax years 2000 through 2005. Those returns allegedly reported that he owed approximately $129,000 in federal income taxes for these years, which resulted in a total of more than $300,000 including interest and penalties. According to the indictment, between 2007 and 2012, Fenzell allegedly sought to evade IRS collection by making his business receipts payable to nominee entities and by using nominee bank accounts in Florida and Rhode Island to divert and hide collectible income and assets. The indictment also alleges that Fenzell failed to file his 2008 through 2011 tax returns at that time required by law, and used nominee entities and accounts in an effort to evade his taxes.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Fenzell faces a statutory maximum potential sentence of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion and a statutory maximum potential sentence of three years in prison for the count of corruptly endeavoring to obstruct the IRS.

This case was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agents. It is being prosecuted by Assistant Chief John N. Kane Jr. and Trial Attorney Robert Kennedy of the Tax Division.